Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
MEN and boys must actively participate in sexual and reproductive health and family planning conversations to help curb unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other reproductive health challenges, experts have stressed.
Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) Manicaland spokesperson, Mr Daniel Maromo, said on Wednesday that reproductive health can no longer be dismissed as a women only issue.
He explained that ZNFPC is intensifying workplace based awareness programmes across Manicaland, equipping employees with vital information on sexual and reproductive health services.
The initiative seeks to involve men in decision making processes, thereby reducing STI rates and unplanned pregnancies that continue to strain families, communities, and the health system.
“We are in a drive to equip corporates with information on sexual and reproductive health and family planning. We have realised that most of the time people will be at work and might not have enough time to visit clinics or hospitals to access these services. We are now meeting with men to sensitise them on these matters because they need to know,” said Mr Maromo.
He said because people are mostly at work it becomes a challenge, as it often leads to delayed health-seeking behaviour, particularly among men, who are less likely to access reproductive health services compared to women.
“We have realised that some men think family planning is a women’s issue, but we are saying men also should be responsible. We need to engage men in family planning and sexual and reproductive health issues within their setups,” he said, adding that ZNFPC is deliberately targeting workplaces as part of its strategy to reach adults who may otherwise not access health information due to time constraints.
“We are sensitising staff members in different organisations on family planning and sexual and reproductive health. People need to know about the different methods of family planning that we have and their benefits as well,” he said.
Beyond contraception, Mr Maromo said the awareness programmes also cover a wide range of reproductive health issues affecting both men and women, including infertility, menopause, STIs and HIV and AIDS.
“People also need to know about infertility issues, menopause, fertility challenges, STIs and HIV and AIDS. Men need to be aware of these issues surrounding sexual and reproductive health services that we provide,” he said, stressing that reproductive health should be understood as a shared responsibility between partners, not one gender alone.
Mr Maromo said failure to involve men often results in poor decision-making in relationships, contributing to unplanned pregnancies and lack of support for reproductive health choices.
“Pregnancy should not be just the responsibility of women. A man should also take that responsibility. It is his responsibility as well. Sometimes an unwanted pregnancy does not only affect the woman; even the boy child is affected because they do not know where they are supposed to go or how to handle the situation,” he said, adding that societal programming over the years has largely focused on women and children, leaving men excluded from key reproductive health conversations.
“The response has been good, but most programmes are targeting women and children. We are saying men should also be involved in whatever programmes we have because they have a role to play in relationships,” he said.
Mr Maromo said ZNFPC has already conducted sensitisation and training programmes with several institutions as part of its outreach work.
“So far, we have trained the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and staff from the Adult Rape Clinic, among others, and we have other organisations lined up. We have family planning clinical services, implant training, IUD training, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. Some are structured trainings with specific outcomes, while others are sensitisation sessions that are part of workplace wellness,” he said, explaining that sensitisation sessions are often offered at no cost as part of efforts to widen access to reproductive health information.
He added that they encourage companies to integrate reproductive health education into employee wellness programmes.
